Create Artifact
| type = Instant Spell | casting_cost = Varies | upkeep_cost = None | research_cost = | effects = Allows the wizard to create a Magical Item with custom-selected properties. The spell's Casting Cost depends entirely on the item and its bonuses. Create Artifact imposes no limits on what bonuses can be imbued into the item it creates. Spell-like abilities are still limited by the type and number of Spellbooks the caster possesses. }} :This article is about the Arcane spell called "Create Artifact". For information about how item creation actually works, see Crafting. Create Artifact is an Instant Spell belonging to the realm. It may only be cast on the overland map. Upon selecting this spell, the game opens the Crafting menu to allow choosing bonuses for the new Magical Item. After bonuses have been selected, the spell-casting process begins. The new item will be created once all of its Casting Cost has been paid for, and can then be distributed to a Hero for actual use in combat. The resulting item is permanent, and cannot be destroyed except by its own caster, or if the Hero bearing the item is killed in battle. Neither the item nor the Create Artifact spell have any Upkeep Costs. Usage and Effects Create Artifact allows a wizard to create a new Magical Item with customized properties, to equip a Hero for combat. Create Artifact places no limitations of its own on the type and strength of the bonuses you may place on the item. Item Crafting : As soon as Create Artifact is selected, the game opens the Crafting menu for the wizard to select which bonuses he or she would like to imbue into the new Magical Item. The process of selecting bonuses for an item is complex, and explained in full detail in the Crafting article. In this article however, it is important to note that Create Artifact does not actually have its own Casting Cost. The cost is determined entirely by the value of the item being crafted. The more powerful the item, the more time and must be spent on creating it. The item's value actually becomes the Casting Cost of the spell. The casting of the Create Artifact spell only begins once the player has selected at least one bonus for the new item and confirmed that he wishes to start the casting process. If no bonuses were selected for the item, the game will cancel casting the spell, and no is lost. Upon completion of casting Create Artifact, the new item will be created at the wizard's item vault, located in his Fortress. This item may immediately be equipped on any Heroes present at the same town as the Fortress itself. To equip the item on a Hero who is away from the Fortress, a cost of must be paid for the item's teleportation. If the Fortress' Item Vault already contains 4 Magical Items, some shuffling may be required in order to keep them all as well as the new item. The vault may never contain more than 4 items, so at least one will need to either be equipped on a Hero immediately, or destroyed on the anvil. It is also possible to immediately destroy the new item on the anvil, receiving half of its value back in the form of . This may seem foolish, and usually is - but some wizards possess a combo of two Retorts that would actually allow them to benefit from creating and destroying items repeatedly. Read more on this in the Crafting article. No Item Bonus Limitations Unlike the less advanced spell Enchant Item, Create Artifact imposes no limitations on the type of bonuses available for the new item, nor on the maximum strength of each bonus. Of course, such limitations are still imposed by the type of item selected. Spell-like bonuses are still made available based on how many Spellbooks the casting wizard has in each Realm. The point is that these limitations do not originate in Create Artifact, so it is essentially capable of maximizing any item's potential. Note that as with any Crafting, you may only select up to 4 bonuses for a single item. Artificer Retort Any wizard possessing the Artificer Retort will start the game with Create Artifact already in his/her repertoire. The spell may be cast immediately without the need for Research. With the Artificer retort, the Casting Cost of Create Artifact is reduced by 50%. This makes it possible to create items for half-price. The reduction in Casting Cost does not reduce the item's final value. As a result, destroying the item on the Anvil reimburses the wizard for the entire amount originally spent on creating the item. This mainly ensures that, at worst, Crafting of the wrong item (or one that has become obsolete) results in lost time, but not lost . With both the Artificer and Runemaster retorts, an exploit becomes possible, because Create Artifact's Casting Cost is reduced by 75% - again without affecting the value of the resulting item. Therefore, useless items can be repeatedly created and destroyed on the Anvil for a net profit of . As this wizard gains power and can craft more valuable items faster, he/she can make copious amounts of off this exploit, eventually being able to abandon any concerns related to Mana shortages. With the Alchemy retort, this can easily alleviate any shortages of as well. Acquisition As an spell, Create Artifact will eventually become available to any wizard, regardless of how many Spellbooks he or she might possess. However, the spell does require Research before it can be used. Its Research Cost is . Wizards possessing the Artificer retort are able to cast Create Artifact as soon as the game begins, and do not need to Research it at all. Strategy At one point or another, almost all wizards will want to recruit one or more Heroes, and subsequently equip them with powerful Magical Items. While items may occasionally be purchased from Merchants, or recovered from Encounter Zones, the best items are usually a result of customized Crafting. The Create Artifact spell allows creating any type of legal item, with pretty much any bonuses available to the casting wizard. Therefore, Create Artifact provides a good way to fully outfit your Heroes in customized combat gear. The gear may be tailored specifically to the Hero and his abilities, so the items created by this spell may be superior to those acquired from other sources. This makes Create Artifact especially important for any wizard who relies on numerous Heroes - or on Torin the Chosen. Note that once the Create Artifact spell is Researched, it effectively replaces the lower-grade spell Enchant Item - which becomes obsolete. Create Artifact is simply more powerful without being any more expensive. Category:Instant Spells Category:Arcane